The Vampires Student Part I:The Cirque du Freak
by The Vampires Student
Summary: The halfvampire Gillian, who is a student of Larten Crepsley, is not pleased at all when Darren Shan arrives at the cirque du Freak and becomes his assistant. When the vampaneze suddenly show interest in her, she sets an ultimatum to Mr Crepsley...
1. Chapter 1: Darren Shan

"The Vampires Student" 

Teil I : "Cirque du Freak"

Chapter 1 : Darren Shan

Darren Shan followed the vampire Larten Crepsley alongside the grounds of the camp of the Cirque du Freak.  
>He has just got out of his own coffin, in which he had to hold out many hours until the vampire with the orange-red hair and prominent scar across the face had digged him out and freed him.<br>Apart from the fact that his limbs were numb from the long time he had to spend in the dark coffin, the narcotics, that the vampire had given him, had not yet fully vanished.  
>Tired and confused, he stumbled behind the vampire.<br>He was scared. What would become of him?  
>For his parents, his family, his friends - including his best friend Steve - he was now dead.<br>They had been at his funeral, he had been lying with a broken neck in the garden like he had fallen out of the window.  
>Darren gulped while he remembered how his friend Steve stepped to his open coffin and looked down on him silently. He wished he could at least be able to tell him that he was not dead, but had made a deal with the vampire.<br>In order to save Steves life.  
>They reached a red tent, which was dimly lit from inside by the glow of fire.<br>The vampire thrust the entrance plane apart, apparently this was his home.  
>And thus from now on ... Darrens home as well.<br>Darren hesitated, than followed him inside.

The interior of the tent was barely illuminated by the light of a single, flickering candle.  
>A few worn-red leather armchairs, a threadbare carpet and low dark furniture filled the space, the other half of the tent was separated by a curtain from the rest.<br>In one of the chairs a young woman with long black hair layed curled up like a cat.  
>When the plane of the tent opened, she looked up, startled.<p>

She had used the silken robe of the vampire as a blanket, and as Larten Crepsley entered the tent, she jumped up quickly.  
>She made a puzzled expression as if she had been caught in the act of something forebidden.<br>A blush rose in her pale face as she exclaimed: "Master Crepsley! You're back!"  
>She was visibly delighted.<br>"You have been away for three days, if I had known that you come back today ... I would have already canceled your performance for today. I will go and inform Director Tall..."  
>"Not necessary", growled Mr. Crepsley. "I have already spoken to the director. Today I`ll not do the show. "<br>The woman nodded and tried to help him out of his cape, but then she saw Darren, who stood behind the vampire in the entrance.  
>She frowned. "No fans in Mr Crepsleys tent," she hissed, and prepared to shoo him out of the tent.<br>"It`s allright", said the vampire. "This is Darren Shan."  
>He grabbed Darrens arm and pulled him from the entrance into the tent.<br>The woman tilted her head, so that her jet-black hair fell like a veil over her face.  
>"Darren, this is Gillian, my student", the vampire introduced the woman to him.<br>The woman looked at Darren, apparently she didn`t knew what to make out of him.  
>And Darren felt the same way. He had assumed that the vampire was living alone.<br>His student ?  
>What should that mean?<br>Mr Crepsley went over to the dark red leather armchairs, and the woman hastened to pick up the his mantle and hang it on a hook. She threw disapproving glances on Darren.  
>Darren looked around and did not know what to do with himselves. The vampire let himself sink into his chair with a sigh, and wiped his eyes with one of his big hands.<br>"Do you like a drink?", the student asked immediately.  
>The vampire grunted.<br>Darren shudderd and watched as the woman named Gillian went to a low chest of drawers, where a glass carafe with a red liquid waited readily. She filled a glass, and brought it to Mr Crepsley. "It is not much left. I didn`t know where you were, otherwise I would have ... "  
>The vampire cut her words off with a gesture.<br>She handed him the glass, and then stepped behind his chair, half hidden in shadows, from where she peered at Darren.  
>The vampire looked at the liquid in the glass, but did not drink.<br>"Gillian ...," Mr Crepsley hesitated, as if what he had to say, would be very unpleasant.  
>"Darren will be from now on my assistant."<br>Gillian winced what Mr Crepsley was not able to see, while she stood half in shadow behind his chair. Still, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as he braced himself against an outburst of the young woman.  
>"Assistant?" All the color had gone from her already pale face.<br>Gillian gave Darren an unbelieving look. "But Master Crepsley, you have me, why do you need an assistant?"  
>The vampire was silent and his student, emerged from the shadows, so that she could see Mr Crepsleys face. On her forehead was a frown.<br>"You're joking", she gasped in disbelief.  
>"No, he does not", Darren burst out, because this was too much.<br>She turned her head towards him, apparently she was surprised, that Darren could speak at all.  
>"I don`t have the habit to joke about such important matters", said Mr Crepsley sternly."Darren will live in the circus and you will teach him everything he needs to know as my assistant."<br>Gillian opened her mouth without saying a word, her eyes had widened, and now looked more scared and vulnerable as one would suspect behind her cold facade.  
>"Master Crepsley ...", the young woman began, with a slight tremor in her voice.<br>But Mr Crepsley cut her off. "I have made myself clear, Gillian."  
>For the first time the vampire looked her in the face, and his dark eyes pierced the young woman.<br>Darren felt a shiver passed through her slender body.  
>"If this ... is your wish ...", she said pressed and looked down, her face hidden by her long black hair.<br>The vampire looked at his student. Then he took a sip from the glass.  
>"Mr Tall is informed", he picked up again. "Darren will share the tent with Evra Von. And now please show him his new home. "<br>Gillian looked at Darren with narrowed eyes.  
>Then she turned on her heel so that her long black hair whipping the air and rushed out.<br>Darren had no other choice but to follow her.

2


	2. Chapter 2: Evra Von

Chapter 2: Evra Von

Darren had difficulties to follow the vampires student. She stormed out of the tent without caring, whether he was behind her or not. And to make it worse around him on the campgrounds was so much to see, he hardly knew where to look at first.  
>Everywhere were the strangest people acrobaticly practicing, women with red hair breathed fire, small figures wrapped in dark coats buzzing around, crippled oddities ... it was a wonder that Darren was able in all this mess to catch a glimpse of silky black hair and fluttering midnight blue dress, and he strode forward to catch up.<br>Out of breath he called her a "Wait a minute", but she only shot an angry look at him and did not reined in the slightest in her pace.  
>Darren was not able to catch her up before she stopped in front of a green tent, decorated with a pattern that reminded of snake skin.<br>"So ...", she drawled. "Darren ...", it sounded compelled, as if she had gathered strength on the way here to cope with the new situation.  
>"You are going to sleep in here." She pointed at the tent. "You have to share space with Evra Von. And with his pet. " At the last sentence she smiled wickedly, and entered without knocking.<br>Darren followed her with beating heart.  
>"Evra !", exclaimed the impatient student of the vampire, as she would more important tasks to do, than show around a teenager, who had entered the service of her master.<br>"You have a new roommate."  
>The interior of the tent was surprisingly spacious and comfortable.<br>Not all parts of the roof and the walls were made of canvas, there were also elements of solid curved wood, which made the whole structure stable and generous. A drum set filled the biggest space.  
>A boy rose up from a niche and quickly put his comics aside: "Gillian", he gasped in surprise.<br>"Evra", Gillian repeated a with touch of irony in her voice like she wanted to emphasize that she knows their names. "This is Darren. Mr Crepsleys ... assistant. "

The last word she said slowly, and made it unequivocally clear what she thought about it.  
>"Director Tall says he can stay here."<br>Her Eyes wandered around the room disdainfully and made it clear, what she thought of the chaos of clothes lying around; drum sticks, dirty socks and comic books.  
>Evra was obviously nervous in the presence of the student, and if he would be able to turn red, he certainly would have become.<br>But Evra Von however, better known as the "Snake Boy", had the skin of a snake, his green face showing no hint of his embarrassment.  
>Darren stared at him.<br>He had seen the Snake Boy before at the show, but now he stood closer to him than ever before. He had weird dark eyes shaped into slits. Darren also had the uncomfortable feeling that his snake was dwelling here somewhere in the tent and silently sliding around.  
>"Of course. Um, Hello Darren",said Evra and stretched out his hand, which Darren took reluctantly.<br>"Then everything is clear", said the vampires student.  
>"I expect you tomorrow after sunset in Master Crepsleys tent. Until then, Evra may show you around. "<br>She nodded slightly to Evra, who immediately agreed with her eagerly: "Yeah, I`ll show him everything, no problem ..." But Gillian ignored him and rushed out of the tent.  
>Evra looked after her.<br>"Well, then uh ... I'm probably your roommate", said Darren, a little embarrassed.  
>"Hm? Oh, yeah, uh, welcome. You can sleep over there. I`ll sleep here, and this here, you know, this is my drumset. "<br>"Cool."  
>"Do you play?"<br>"I did once. A bit. "  
>"Great. I`m doing this Snake Boy stuff, but what I really want to do is make music. Maybe we can play together. "<br>"Well, sure."  
>"You're Crepsleys assistent?"<br>Darren nodded unhappily.  
>"Gillian did not seem very pleased."<br>"No, she did´t look happy."  
>"Don`t worry. She is allways like that. "<br>Evra looked back to the exit where Gillian had left the room, as if afraid he was afraid she might hide behind the curtain and eavesdrop on them.  
>"Does she ... did she say something?" Evra asked in a low voice, almost whispering.<br>Darren furrowed his brow.  
>"I mean ...", began Evra. "I mean about you and me living together. Did she say something about me or so? "<br>"No, not really ...".  
>Darren began to understand, what the Snake Boy was up to.<br>"Nothing in particular ... only that Mr Tall decided, that we should live together. But, well, she doesn`t like to talk to me, you know, that mustn`t mean anything ... "  
>Evra nodded nervously and looked at his feet.<br>Darren grinned. "She is pretty."  
>Evra looked up, startled.<br>Darren grinned even wider. He hit the bull's-eye.  
>"I ... I'll take you around then", the snake boy stuttered, hoping that no one saw his embarrassment.<br>The assistent of the vampire smiled. 

2


	3. Chapter 3: Gillian

Chapter 3: Gillian

Gillian stepped behind a tree and merged herself deeper in darkness, just in time before Evra left the tent followed by the boy.  
>The vampires student did in fact stay and had been listening at the tent of the Snake Boy.<br>She had hoped the boy would say something to Evra, which could explain why he was here.  
>But she heard nothing, what she didn`t knew.<br>What is the boy doing here? Why is Larten Crepsley accepting him as his assistant?  
>Gillian felt her tears in her eyes.<br>She wrapped her arms around her slender waist, because she shivered suddenly in the warm June night.  
>With burning eyes, she watched the Snake Boy and the young assistant, and heard the faint laughter of the two fading in the summer breeze.<br>When Master Larten decided to choose someone as his assistant, without having selected him long and carefully before - and he had not, because Gillian would knew - he could have done it for only two reasons: Either Master Crepsley had pity the boy, and wanted to protect him from a terrible fate; or the boy had impressed Master Crepsley with something.  
>Both couldn`t be true.<br>The boy was not a freak, he had nothing odd about him, and obviously he has no bad fate. On the contrary, the boy was smart, handsome, and apparently came from a solid American family.  
>He was more like a rolemodel for NORMALITY.<br>He has nothing to do in the Cirque.  
>And the second possibility, that Darren impressed with the vampire with something... that was really ridiculous.<br>Or was Gillian wrong about this?  
>Does the boy something about him?<br>A hidden talent?  
>He seemed to her neither particularly courageous nor very literate, nor to have any character ability that would have awake the attention of her master. And yet ... and yet the boy is here.<br>Why?  
>How will her master hide the fact that he was a vampire, if the boy will be around him all the time?<br>Or does he knew it already?  
>And what about her?<br>Kristina Teeth came joking with Rhamus Twobellies past some tents and Gillian pulled up her softly rustling dress and disappeared behind a trailer before the two noticed her.  
>A large fire had been lit, and in the glow of the dancing flames people where circling a bottle. But Gillian was in no mood to join in this, she remained hidden in the shadows and the darkness was wrapped around her like a veil.<br>Lost in thoughts and with bowed head, she made her way to her tent that, she was sharing with Kristina Teeth.  
>Whatever it was, what the boy had done.<br>Gillian would not allow a stupid teenager to take her position next to the side of the Vampire Larten Crepsley.

******


	4. Chapter 4: Rebecca

Chapter 4: Rebecca

The whole day long Darren did get to see all sorts of strange people and things in the Cirque, so that the Trailer full of costumes where a girl named Rebecca worked, appeared like a oasis of peace to him. He began to feel pretty comfortable in the company of the only normal girl around.  
>Rebecca had brought him clothes, because Darren only had the black suit in which he had been buried in his own grave.<br>Darren was glad to be able to put on something else.  
>The black suit made him shiver.<br>It was still full of earth, for the vampire had insisted that he digs his own grave.  
>Darren was looking at his reflection in a mirror - Rebecca had given him a red leather jacket that he liked very much - when suddenly the door opened and Mr Crepsleys student entered the trailer.<br>She quickly closed the door behind her and blinked for a moment, as if her eyes hurt from the sunlight outside and she now was glad to be in the twilight of the trailer.  
>She wore the red cloak of the vampire under the arm, the one Mr. Crepsley had worn last night, and turned nervously to Rebecca: "Rebecca, you gotta help me ..." She stopped when she saw Darren.<br>For a moment there was silence, because Darren did not know how to adress her.  
>Gillian looked exhausted and confused.<br>She decided to ignore Darren, because her concern was more important than him, and gave Rebecca the mantle: "Look. I can`t get these stains out of it." Her voice had a hint of panic.  
>Rebecca stayed quiet. "Let me see, I can handle that."<br>She took the cloak and held the fabric under a lamp. "What is it? Blood?"  
>"I know how to get off blood," snorted Gillian disdainfully. "No, it is clay and earth. I tried to rub it out, but that has only made things worse." She ran a hand through her long hair nervously.<br>"I think I've got something." Rebecca gave the coat back and looked for a bottle in a crate.  
>Gillian watched her, then glanced out of the window. "It will be dark soon," she said to no one in particular, and began to step from one foot to another.<br>Her eyes met Darren.  
>She snorted at Darren: "What have you two done during the last three days? Digging in the earth?"<br>Darren grinned: "Exactly."  
>His answer seemed to make her angry. "If Rebecca is finished, you will bring the cloak over to Master Crepsleys tent. I`ll expect you there." Without another word Gillian rushed out.<br>Darren furrowed his brow angrily. He slipped off the box and walked over to Rebecca, who had diligently rubbed with a cloth over the fabric.  
>Darren watched her.<br>"It will go out, no problem." Rebecca looked up at him as if to reassure him.  
>Darren did not understand all the fuss. "It's just dirt, why making such a panic?"<br>Rebecca paused and looked a little worried in Darren's face. "She probably doesn`t want that Mr Crepsley is mad at her. Here."  
>She pressed the coat in his hand. "All gone."<br>"Thank you." Darren looked at the fabric. The coat was worn and old, and had more than one stains or little holes. Darren did not have the impression, that the vampire would get upset about such trifles.  
>"These Gillian. Who's that? " Darren had asked himself the whole time, what actually was was a "vampires student". The same way as he wondered what was a "vampires assistant". Only that he had not dared to ask anyone previously.<br>Rebecca hesitated. "She does not belong to the Cirque. She serves Mr. Crepsley. "  
>"Is she a vampire ...?" Darren had already noticed that most members of the Cirque seem to know about Mr Crepsley being a vampire.<br>Some were afraid of him.  
>"No, but she shall be one, he qualifies her."<p>

Darren stared at her in surprise.  
>Larten Crepsley had exchanged blood with him, and he, Darren, was now a half vampire.<br>Gillian was certainly a halfvampire, too, because she could walk around during the daylight like him. Crepsley was qualifying her as a vampire?  
>What did that mean?<br>It looked like she served the vampire.  
>Does Darren now have to wash the underwear of the vampire in the coming weeks?<br>Darren stood up and took the mantle.  
>"I better go before my Lord and Master awakes." He grinned wryly.<br>Darren Shan left the trailer, and marched past the cage of the wolf-men to the direction of the vampires tent. 


	5. Chapter 5: Madam Octa

Chapter 5: Madam Octa

"You're late, the sun will go down soon."  
>Inside the tent of the vampire everything looked just like when Darren had arrived the previous night. Darren looked around curiously, but Gillian snapped at him: "What are you looking at? Hurry up, hang the mantle up there."<br>She pointed to a dressmaker's dummy, and Darren hung the coat over it.  
>But Gillian was not satisfied: "A bit more neatly, please!"<br>She stepped next to Darren, stroked smoothly the folds out of the fabric and inspected the hem. "I hope the spots have gone completely out?"  
>Darren shrugged his shoulders. In the dim light of the tent you could not see anything anyway.<br>"And? What now? ",said Darren.  
>Gillian narowed her eyes to slits. "How about if you feed Madam Octa? Finally you're here to make yourself useful."<br>She smiled maliciously, and stroked aside the curtain that separated the rest of the tent. There, standing on a table in the cage, was the big, blue and red spider.  
>Gillian walked over to the table and took a pair of tweezers and a jar of dead flies from a shelf. She put both next to the cage so that the hungry spider came close and stretched her hairy legs through the bars, groping for the glass.<br>Darren went fearlessly over to the cage and opened the jar of flies.  
>Gillian watched him, her arms crossed over her chest and leaning casually against a tent pole.<br>Darren tipped the glass and poured a couple of flies on his hand. He wanted to take the tweezers, then changed his mind and ignored them. Instead, he replaced the little latch on the cage and opened the gate.  
>"What are you doing?"<br>Madam Octa, the big hairy spider came crawling out, pleased. Darren was holding out his open palm with the flies and Octa crawled towards him.  
>"Are you crazy!" Gillian exclaimed in horror, and rushed from the tent pole to Darren.<br>He raised his hand to his face so that he was on eyesight with the spider. "Well, my pretty. Enjoy your meal."  
>Gillian was surprised to see how Madam Octa gently touched the dead flies and then began slowly to eat one up.<br>"She ... she likes you." Gillian couldn`t believe it. "This spider is very rare and dangerous. And very toxic. No one is allowed to carry her on his hand, except Master Crepsley", Gillian whispered almost reverently.  
>She glared at Darren, as if she was seeing him for the first time.<br>Darren grinned.  
>Gillian cocked her head and frowned. So that was it.<br>The boy was not afraid of spiders. He did very well with Madam Octa.  
>That was certainly what Mr Crepsley had found out about the boy.<br>The boy had impressed the master vampire, because the spider liked him.  
>Gillian knew the special connection of her master to his crawling pet.<br>She could not stand the spider, but better or worse had to live with it. But the spider never was removed from the cage without the master vampire would be at hand.  
>However, this boy seemed to have an innate talent to deal with spiders.<br>Gillian was relieved.  
>Larten Crepsley wanted these boys as an assistant.<br>As an assistant for the show!  
>He should take care of Madam Octa, perhaps even become a part of the number.<br>Gillian smiled and watched as Darren whispering gentle words to the eating spider.  
>She chided herself<br>How foolish she had been.  
>To believe that her master would push her away, his student, and replace her with a stupid teenager.<br>Gillian, Gillian admit it, you have been jealous.  
>She chuckled and laid sympatheticly one arm around Darrens shoulder.<br>This sudden confidential gesture astonished him and he frowned.  
>"Well done," said Gillian, gave Darren a pat on the shoulder and turned and went elatedly over to an chair.<br>"You'll assist Master Crepsley in the show. Your task will be to take care of Madam Octa."  
>Secretly Gillian was glad to hand this task over.<br>Darren was happy, too. He loveed to take care for the spider. Gillian could go on wash their clothes and play the maid.  
>He lowered his hand, leaving Madam Octa who crawled back into the cage.<br>"Have you heard that?", he whispered to her. "I am allowed to feed you. I'll take care of you, I promise. I'm sorry for what happened. I will not allow that anything bad happens to you again... "  
>Darren had not noticed that Gillian stood next to him, so he winced as she hissed at him: "What did you say? What you're sorry for? "<br>"Nothing", Darren hastened to say and backed away.  
>Gillian came after him. Her coal black eyes sparkled dangerously.<br>"You!" She stared at him. "You are the one. You're the boy who kidnapped Octa!"  
>Darren went pale and stammered: "It was a mistake ..." He stepped further back from Gillian and almost stumbled over a box.<br>"You've kidnapped her. Crepsley master was outrageuos. He has pursued the thief, and was long gone. When he returned, he had Octa with him. The spider was hurt. I thought he killed the thief, but instead you show up here in his company. And he calls you his assistant."  
>Darren had receded into the far corner and groped his way along the wall to the tent exit.<br>Gillian stared at him angrily and unbelievingly, and reminded him of a cat ready to pounce.  
>"Yes, I'm his assistant. He has forgiven me. You can do me no harm."<br>"What? Do you fear me?" This idea seemed to please her, because she smiled maliciously.  
>"You should. Never forget I am his student." She stopped.<br>She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as if she was listening to a sound. "He has forgiven you, eh? Because you can deal with spiders?" She loosened her attitude. "Well, then. Assistant Darren. Welcome to the Cirque."  
>Gillian squirmed away from him.<br>Darren relaxed a bit. "Than... Thank you." He stammered, taken aback by her sudden change of mind again.  
>For safety's sake he stayed where he was, near the entrance, and watched as Gillian quietly and with elegant movements, straightened the chair, lit candles and made a glass carafe ready for use. She went quietly and routinely, as if she had done the same devices for a long time, night after night.<br>She ignored Darren as if he was nothing but thin air.

Darren did not know what to do with himself, and felt completely out of place again.  
>He had just decided to make a hasty retreat, and to go to his tent to Evra, since Gillian did no longer care about him anyway, when suddenly the vampire Larten Crepsley came out from behind the curtain.<br>Darren caught a glimpse of a dark coffin behind him.  
>Gillian was smiling at him, and the vampire nodded at her.<br>Darren freezed in his movement and did not dare to leave the tent. He was sure that Crepsley had seen him allready.  
>The vampire went without a word to his chair, and Gillian started to fill a glass for him.<br>She handed it over to the vampire who grunted and took it from her.  
>Darren wondered whether a half-vampire would also have to drink blood.<br>Gillian took no glass for herself at least.  
>Darren raised his hands and felt the crescent-shaped marks on his fingertips, where Mr Crepsley hat cut him with his razor-sharp fingernails and shared a tiny bit of blood him with.<br>Gillian had observed him.  
>When he ran his hand over the sensitive fingertips, she quickly stepped next to him, grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand closer to the candle light.<br>She stared at his fingertips.  
>"What is that?", she panted.<br>He squirmed in her grip and tried to escape from her, but she held his wrist with an amazing strength that he felt like a vise.  
>"Master Crepsley ...", she gasped and let go of the hand.<br>"This ... you ... you ... didn`t!"  
>The vampire was sitting quietly in his chair and stared wordlessly at his disciple.<br>Gillian shook her head, her silky black hair flew back and forth, and tears sprang to her eyes.  
>"Gillian." Crepsley raised his voice in a low soothing tone in which authority lay.<br>The student stopped shaking her head and looked at her master with large eyes.  
>"Why did you do that?", she whispered.<br>The dam broke and tears spilled from her eyes and ran down her pale cheeks, so that strands of her black hair got wet.  
>"No tears, Gillian," Crepsley said sternly.<br>Gillian moaned softly and it looked as though she would faint or go down to her knees infront of the vampire.  
>"Control yourself!", he thundered, so that Gillian and Darren winced at the same time.<br>He quickly got up from his chair and stood up in front of her.  
>"No tears," he growled. "You know that I will tolerate no tears."<br>Gillian nodded and sniffed loudly, in an attempt to suppress her tears.  
>Larten Crepsley looked into her eyes. "You must learn to control yourself," he said sternly and Gillian straightened. She lifted her chin. One last drop of her cheek rolled over her cheek she wiped it away in embarrassment.<br>Mr Crepsley turned off to the table and poured himself out of the carafe.  
>He waved the glass and watched the red liquid for a while swinging back and forth.<br>Gillian had regained her composure and smoothed her dress.  
>She did not look at Darren and stood next to the vampire to seal the jug again.<br>The vampire looked over the rim of the glass at her.  
>"Because the next time you will cry it will be tears of blood."<p> 


	6. Chapter 6: Mr Tiny

Chapter 6: Mr. Tiny

"Try more hard. You have to be aware to your surroundings. "  
>Darren was out of breath.<br>For hours now he practiced with Gillian "dodge". They were on a moonlit meadow near the Camp of the Cirque du Freak.  
>Darren should awaken his half-vampiristic instincts and Gillian "helped" by merging with the night again and again and prey on him.<br>That was one of her special skills: she could wrap darkness and shadows around her like a scarf and practically become invisible.  
>She was also silent as a cat on velvet paws and Darren had no chance to guess from which direction she would come next.<br>He knew that she was enjoying it to be superior to him, so she chooses among all the exercises that they could make, always something like this.  
>He did his best.<br>In other exercises, he was quite good allready. For example, he had learned how to "flit".  
>To move with the supernatural speed of a vampire was a heady experience, and Darren was never tired to move, even for short distances. At first he often collided with objects or people until he had learned how to brake in time.<br>Now to flit was his only chance to escape Gillian's fist, which she mercilessly used every time when he failed avoiding her.  
>Gillian also was able to flitt easily and often she foresaw which direction he would take, and overtook him. Darren had bruises all over from Gillian's fast hard punches.<br>And now he also had pain in his side.  
>"I'll give it trouble. I need a break."<br>"Break?" Gillian crossed her arms. "In combat your enemy will not give you a break."  
>"Which opponents? As if vampires would fight all the time. "<br>Darren was already several weeks at the Cirque, and he had accompanied the vampire Larten Crepsley, when he had been out on the hunt for blood.  
>Most times he obtained blood from animals; rabbits, rats, stray dogs or once even from a goat.<br>But sometimes he got hold of human blood.  
>He never fought, he always had drugged his victims and drank from them, without them noticing anything.<br>The vampire had also wanted Darren to drink human blood, but Darren had refused until now.  
>However, he had had to drink animal blood.<br>And he had seen Gillian drinking blood, too.  
>She was without a doubt "more vampire" like him, although she surely that she had been turned on the same way into half-vampire, as he did: by sharing a small amount of blood with the vampire through their fingertips.<br>But he didn`t knew exactly.  
>He assumed that her increased forces and her uncanny ability to rally the darkness around her, came from the fact, that she have been longer a half vampire, as he did.<br>However, she had never talked about it.  
>Darren knew almost nothing about the student of the master vampire.<br>"No, not all the time. Not any more. Well, we have done enough for now." Gillian sighed and sat down at a tree and looked up at the moon.  
>"In the past they fought... everything had been more difficult. And as a Master Vampire Crepsley often had to defend himself against attackers. During the war."<br>Darren sat down beside her. "How long have you been with him?"  
>Gillian did not answer and looked at him thoughtfully, as if she considered how much she wanted to tell him.<br>Darren already came to the conclusion that he ventured out too far, and had asked something too personal.  
>But then she looked down and said: "In October, it´s going to be fifteen years."<br>Darren was speechless.  
>Fifteen years?<br>And she still had not been turned into a vampire?  
>Will his own training take as long as, too?<br>"What is it? What are you staring at? " Her voice sounded irritated.  
>"I do`nt stare. I ... "<br>"You wonder how old I am."  
>That`s not what Darren thought about.<br>Not now, but in the past he did, it was difficult to estimate how old she was. Twenty? Twenty-five? But when she did spent fifteen years with the vampire, then ...  
>"I was twenty-two when I met him." She looked at Darren.<br>"You ...", he quickly calculated in his head. "You do not look like ..."  
>"Half-vampires are aging slower."<br>She smiled. "You'll look like a fourteen-year old for quite a while."  
>Gillian got up and dusted off her skirt.<br>"I'm sixteen!"  
>"But you do not look like" She laughed, but he knew she only wanted to tease him.<br>Darren stood up, too. "Painful for you, that someone who looks like a fourteen-year old can flit more fast than you."  
>Gillian grinned, and went on. "Oh, yeah? Who is first at the oak? "<br>Darren nodded.  
>He concentrated, and tensed all his muscles.<br>But Gillian suddenly put her hand on his arm and held him back.  
>"What?" He asked, alarmed.<br>She paused and gestured with a frown on the forest edge.  
>Darren listened.<br>Now he heard it, too.  
>Someone came.<br>Nervous, they waited until a figure appeared at the forest edge.  
>Darren muscles relaxed again.<br>It was only Evra Von.  
>But Gillian remained tense. Evra came with rapid steps toward her and Gillian asked: "What happened?"<br>Evra was out of breath. "Mr Tall sends me. You shall immediately go to Mr Crepsleys tent. A car is on the way here. "  
>Gillian threw a questioning glance to Evra.<br>"The car belongs to Mr Tiny."


	7. Chapter 7: Darren Shan

Chapter 7: Darren Shan

Master Crepsley had been awaiting them impatiently. He quickly went into the back part of the tent, the part that Darren always avoided.  
>The coffin of the vampire was there stationary.<br>Larten Crepsley opened the coffin and pointed inside impatiently.  
>Darren hesitated.<br>"Go on", Gillian hissed and pushed him rudely.  
>Darren stumbled forward and saw to his surprise, that the velvet-lined coffin had no bottom.<br>Instead, a few stone steps led into the depths.  
>"Hurry up."<br>Gillian urged him forward, and Darren had no choice but to climb over the coffin edge and climb down the stairs into the darkness.  
>Mr Crepsley held the lid open, and waited until Gillian climbed inside as well. Then he made a move to close it.<br>"Don`t you come with us?" Gillian turned her scared face to him.  
>Crepsley leaned down to her.<br>"I'll come later. Keep an eye on Darren." And the lid closed over them.  
>Darren stumbled down the steps.<br>A room opened before him that looked like part of the sewer system. A couple of large wooden crates lined up on the walls, and in the back he saw another coffin.  
>Gillian followed soon after him.<br>She kept glancing over her shoulder as like she hoped Master Crepsley would change his mind and follow them down.  
>Darren tried to peep into one of the boxes, but they were nailed close.<br>"What is this?"  
>"What you see. A secret hiding place. "<br>Darren climbed on top of one of the boxes and leaned against the wall with his legs dangling.  
>"And how long must we stay down here?"<br>"Until Master Crepsley says we can come out again", Gillian said and began to pace up and down the room.  
>"Who is this Mr. Tiny?"<br>"A very dangerous man, it is not good, that Master Crepsley wants to face him." Irritated she chewed on her lower lip.  
>Gillian was scared. She didn`t like at all to be down here, without being able to hear what was going on.<br>What if Larten was attacked?  
>She wished she could be with him.<br>If Darren had not been here, he would never have send her away.  
>Keep an eye on Darren, he had said.<br>Because of the boy she had to stay down here, while she would prefer to be at Crepsleys side. And had to take care of those pesky half-vampire.  
>She detested the presence of Darren.<br>Even though she had come to terms with the situation, and gave in to the will of her master.  
>She still could not believe that Darren should be Crepsleys new student.<br>On the other hand, his presence might mean that her own training would soon come to an end.  
>Soon Master Crepsley would turn her into a vampire.<br>She could hardly await.  
>A tingly feeling passes through her every time she thought about this and she could not suppress a smile.<br>But the boy.  
>She shot a sidelong glance at him.<br>She still was not used to him, although he already has been at the Cirque for a few weeks now.  
>What did the Master see in him?<br>He was loud, annoying, defiant, disobedient and lazy.  
>Granted, he could deal with the spider, and sometimes he was very nice. Too nice. Almost cute in his naivete.<br>He doesn`t belong here.  
>He should not become a vampire. That was just wrong.<br>"So now we sit here in the basement ...", Darren jiggled his feet and looked around, bored. "I wish I could tell that to Steve. Because he thought being vampire would be an exciting affair."  
>"What did you say?"<br>"I just said, if my friend could see me here, he would reconsider, and no longer want to become a vampire."  
>"What was your friends name?", Gillian had pinched her eyes together.<br>"Steve. Why? "  
>"I know that name."<br>Darren suddenly felt uncomfortable. Gillian looked at him in a strange, stern way.  
>"Perhaps I've mentioned him once, or so ..."<br>"No, you did not ..." Gillian stared at him as if she tried suck to the memory where she had heard that name before out of him.  
>"Steve?", Gillian murmured to himself. "Steve, who likes to become a vampire?"<br>Suddenly her eyes widened. "Your friend is the crazy one, who begged Master Crepsley and Gavner Purl, to turn him into a vampire!"  
>Darren turned pale. "What? How do you come up with this stupid ... "<br>Gillian's head snapped around and her eyes closed to slits. "Your friend and you, you have been in the show."  
>Slowly she came closer.<br>"After the show, you've snuck into the office and stolen Octa while your friend made for a diversion."  
>Darren felt sick at remembering that evening. Not only that he had been hidden in a cupboard listening to his best friend Steve who threw himself a vampire on the neck, he had feared also for his own safety and nearly scared to death, because he had had the deadly poisonous favorite spider of a vampire hidden under his jacket.<br>"No, it was not like that!"  
>"Oh, no?"<br>"Steve was not a diversion. He did not know that I was there. He really wanted to become a vampire. He has always wanted. "  
>Gillian was in reach of him, stopped, and Darren pulled his legs toward himself, lest she grabbed him.<br>"But he did not get what he wanted. Instead, you're here", she said thoughtfully.  
>Darren's eyes filled with tears. "Not only that," he breathed. "Octa has bitten him. He almost died. And I was guilty. "<br>Now Gillian looked at him with interest. "Octa has bitten your friend?"  
>"Yes. I have begged Crepsley to give me the antidote."<br>Gillian opened her mouth, amazed.  
>"He has given it to me. Under the condition that I become his assistant." <p>

Silence fell over the room.

"You did not want it ...", she whispered, and it was unclear whether she meant the bite of the spider, or his transformation into a half vampire.  
>Darren had his arms around his knees.<br>He shook his head in silence.

Gillian went away from the box on which he sat and went to the other end of the room where she, absorbed in thought, sat down on the wall.  
>An hour passed, during which both had endured in silence, when a sound made them turn their heads to the exit.<br>The vampire Larten Crepsley came down the stairs, dragging his red coat on the stone steps.  
>Gillian went to her feet. "Master Crepsley! Is everything okay? "<br>Mr Crepsley lifted a hand, becalmingly. "Certainly."  
>Gillian's eyes lit up and she jumped on him. "I was worried."<br>It looked as if she would throw herself into his arms, but the vampire walked past her towards the coffin, paying no attention to her.  
>"We will spend the day down here. Mr. Tiny is indeed gone now, but I do not want that the Cirque gets in trouble."<br>"What did he want?", said Gillian.  
>Crepsley turned to them. He looked at both long and stern. Then he pointed with his chin on Darren: "He wanted the boy."<br>Gillian and Darren held their breath.  
>"But I've made to my policy, however, to not give Mr Tiny what Mr Tiny wants." Then he turned to Darren and added: "You are safe here. Gillian will take care of you at day. As a precaution, you will not leave this room today. Both of you. "<br>Gillian nodded.  
>The vampire opened the lid of the coffin and climbed inside.<br>He gave Gillian a last stern look, then he closed the coffin lid.


	8. Chapter 8: Gillian

Chapter 8: Gillian

Gillian stood guard at the stone steps with crossed arms. Darren had tried to sleep on the hard uncomfortable crate, but had so far not been successful.  
>He was scared.<br>Who was this Mr. Tiny and what did he want from him?  
>And if he was so dangerous, like they said, would the halfvampiress Gillian really be able to protect him? Could Crepsley wake up during sunlight?<br>Down here in the underground he felt like a mouse in a trap.  
>Gillian, however, was very calm. She had no fear. Not any more.<br>Master Larten Crepsley was close by, he rested in his coffin, and if danger appeared, he would feel it immediately.  
>She was also very well able to defend herself. Her halfvampiric forces were well trained. She felt that she was on the limit of what a half-vampire could do. Her powers would only become stronger, if she finally turns into a real vampire.<br>Soon.  
>Again she felt a tingle of excitement in her stomach at this thought. Like butterflies. Like being in love.<br>She wanted it so much and for such a long time. For years she had served the vampire, she had been reliable, patient, loyal and obedient. She had learned to completely trust him.  
>But sometimes ... sometimes there had been moments when she had doubted him.<br>Doubted whether he would ever make her one of his kind.  
>Equal.<br>She had sometimes had the feeling that he stalled her metamorphosis unnecessarily.  
>She was ready. Since a long time. Her training was complete.<br>What was he waiting for?  
>Gillian glanced at the boy.<br>Darren laid on his back and stared at the stone ceiling. He could not sleep, he probably did worry.  
>The assistant of the vampire.<br>Had Crepsley waited until he had found a replacement for Gillian as a student?  
>No, that could not be, because she knew that there had been no one before her next to the side of the master vampire, yes, even that Crepsley never wanted to transform anyone at all.<br>Darren was just a stupid boy who stumbled into something of which he understood nothing.  
>What did Mr. Tiny want from him?<br>She was afraid, Tiny will use the boy to have a reason to stir up controversy with Larten Crepsley.  
>On the other hand, she should be grateful to the boy, because that he suddenly appeared her, could be the reason, that Larten finally would be ready to complete her transformation into a real vampire.<br>There was no room for two students in his life.  
>Soon she would be like her master.<p>

Gillian closed her eyes for a moment, smiled and took a deep breath.  
>She felt like little spiders were crawling around in her stomach, with soft, hairy legs and gave her a ticklish sensation.<br>She longed so much to be with him right now.  
>If Darren was not here, she would have laid down in the coffin next to him.<br>Gillian hesitated.  
>Could she?<br>The temptation was strong.  
>I can watch out from there as well, she thought defiantly.<p>

She left her post and went over to the coffin.  
>Darren turned his head and looked at her surprised.<br>Gillian opened the coffin and looked down at the vampire, who was resting with closed eyes.  
>She crawled inside and nestled down on the chest of Larten Crepsley.<br>Before she closed the coffin, she gave Darren a haughty look.  
>Now you know where's your place, she thought.<br>I am very much closer to Larten than you.  
>Pleased with herself, she closed the coffin over her.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9: Larten Crepsley

Chapter 9: Larten Crepsley

It was very compact inside the coffin. Gillian wrapped her arms and a leg around Larten and rested her head on his chest. The vampire did not move.  
>She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent.<br>Master ...  
>Gillian tried to calm down her beating heart. Nothing moved in the chest of the man underneath her, no breathing, no heartbeat, so that the drum of her own heart seemed unnaturally loud. She wished she could tell her body to stop breathing, she knew she would not choke, her halfvampiric blood would not allow that. Nevertheless, it signaled the body, that the oxygen was scarce, and panic began to crawl up inside her.<br>Calm, stay calm, I must not breathe.  
>Gillian centered on these words as a mantra, and slowly, very slowly, she became calmer, her breathing shallowed and her heartbeat slowed so that the claustrophobic feeling became weaker.<br>Soon she was lying there complete motionless, one would think she was just as dead as the vampire.  
>Larten, what are you planning?<br>Gillian knew that the vampire was in a kind of trance, in which he would not hear when she spoke, and would not react when she moved. At this hour, when the sun was up, vampires were most vulnerable. He was able to wake up, but it cost him tremendous effort and energy - and blood - to keep himself awake and being able to act, even now where he was deep under the earth protected from sunlight.  
>But Gillian guessed, that her master sensed, what was happening around him.<p>

When she had seen him in this state for the very first time, she was very scared.

One day, curiosity won and she had put all her courage up and dared to open the coffin in which he slept and looked inside. He had been lying there lifeless, like a dead man, and the longer she had been staring at him, the more difficult it had been for her to believe, that he would ever get up and walk around again.  
>She had almost begun to doubt that he had ever walked and talked to her at all; she had begun to believe, that everything had just been her imagination.<br>But as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, the vampire had opened his eyes and emerged from the coffin, refreshed, as if he had just taken a small nap.  
>She had been worried, that the vampire would be angry with her, because she had opened his coffin, while he rested in it. But he had not even mentioned it, and Gillian wondered whether he even knew that she had done it or not.<br>Then one night, she had climbed to him in the coffin for the first time.  
>It was a bitterly cold and stormy day, and she and Larten had been forced to break in an unknown grave at a cemetery, shortly before the sun rose. She was tired, exhausted and terrified.<br>So she crawled to him in his improvised shelter, and had snuggled up to him. Although Lartens body could not spent her any warmth, she had immediately felt safe and protected, and had fallen asleep from exhaustion in a sudden.  
>When she woke up again, the vampire had not stirred a finger, and later he had never given to understand, that he knew, she had been lying next to him.<p>

Yet Gillian was sure, that he could feel it.  
>She was still half human and blood rushed in her veins.<br>She knew that Larten could perceive her, when she was so close to him, even though he appeared unconscious.

Gillian fumbled with her left hand until it came to rest on the vampires face. She gently ran her fingers across his cheek and lips.  
>She sighed, pressed herself closer to him, and hid her face at his neck.<br>"Larten ..." she whispered, breathing in the scent of his skin.  
>His skin was cold and his body did not smell alive. His clothes emanated a scent similar to patchouli. But her sensitive nose could smell something more underneath : the smell of his blood.<br>Vampire blood.  
>There was no pulse in the veins on his neck, and on his cheeks was not a hint of blush. Nevertheless, he was wearing a fragrance in itself, which was creating in Gillian a tingling sensation which crawled up into her fingertips.<br>This was not the usual smell of blood.  
>Ordinary, real, warm blood, makes her stomach growl, and made her hungry as a tiger, especially if she hadn`t eaten for long.<br>However Lartens blood electrified her.  
>"When will you take me to you?" She whispered in his ear. "I beg you, Master, I am ready. Make me one of your kind at last. Let me fight at your side, if you want to stand up to Mr Tiny. Let me finally be useful. "<br>Her hand went to his neck and her long, razor sharp fingernails scratched his skin.  
>Gillian knew she was playing with fire.<br>If she injured a sleeping vampire, it was quite possible that he reacted instinctively, and attack her without asking who she is.  
>Nevertheless, she gently pushed aside his collar and gave his neck a small cut, just deep enough that a little drop of blood appeared.<br>Gently, she pressed her lips to the wound and licked up the delicious liquid.  
>A shiver ran through her body, while the blood tingled on the tongue and her heart was pounding.<br>The small wound closed down under her lips almost immediately, so she took only a tiny sip, while her senses demanded more.  
>But before she could react, the vampire suddenly moved: his arm shot out and grabbed her roughly by the neck.<br>A growl came from his breast, which would have made Gillian freeze in fear at any other time.  
>But right now, she wasn`t capable of any thought, she only knew, that the blood of the vampire rushed through her body, giving her a feeling of being high, like on drugs.<br>"Gillian," growled the vampire.  
>He pulled her with one hand away from his neck, but Gillian lounged with delight and wrapped her arms and legs around him.<br>"What are you thinking you are doing !", Larten scolded her.  
>She did not hear, she felt the taste of his blood on her tongue, and had the feeling that she was closer to him, than ever before.<br>And this feeling was so great for her, that she did not care whether her master was angry with her or not.

Right now, she would accept any punishment he might give her, if only she could feel so close to him – even only for a short moment.

Larten Crepsley swallowed hard as he understood what she was feeling.

Gillians body trembled, as the vampires grip in her neck became stronger, and her high feeling vanished, when she realized, how angry her master was.  
>Had she been mistaken? For a second she had the feeling, that Larten longed being close to her as much as she did.<br>When his blood conveyed what he felt.  
>But this feeling was gone, now there was only the cold mind of the vampire and the only emotion that he seemed to have, was furiousity.<br>What did Larten say was certainly clear: "You have a job, watch over the boy," and his strong arm pulled her away from him while he sat up and pushed the coffin open.  
>Gillian was thrown out of the coffin and the lid closed again, before she had a chance to look at the face of the vampire.<p>

She stood up from the cold stone floor, rubbing her elbow.  
>She tried not to tremble, or to weep, because she did not want Darren to see how frightened she was.<br>She squirmed away quickly and tried to set her hair.  
>But a new terror made her loose all the blood from her face.<br>Darren was nowhere to be seen.  
>The assistant of the vampire had gone loose. <p>


	10. Chapter 10 : Evra Von

Chapter 10: Evra Von

Gillian ran up the stone steps and tore the lid of the coffin, which concealed the entrance, open. She quickly climbed out of the coffin and checked the tent.  
>Darren was not there.<br>Enraged, she stormed out and through the camp of the Cirque du Freak towards the tent of Evra Von, where she assumed the assistant of the vampire would be.  
>The horror and the disappointment, that the boy did break the order to stay in the secret hiding place, became mixed with the anger of her master, which was running through her veins. Larten Crepsley was angry enough at her, Gillian, and he would be even more, when he learned that the boy had run away.<br>Or did he already knew?  
>Gillian was more than aware of the connection to her master, because she felt the blood of the vampire pulsing through her angrily.<br>The sun blinded her as she stormed past the trailers and a red veil fell over her eyes. A few performers of the Cirque jumped aside in fright and stared behind her, as she pushed Kristina Teeth roughly to the ground, because she had not gone out of the way in time.

Gillian pushed the plane, that covered the entrance of Evras tent, aside and stormed into the corner where Darren's hammock was.  
>But the hammock was empty.<br>Gillian angrily pulled down the sleeping bag and threw it across through the tent, so that the basins of the drums clattered to the floor.  
>Evra, who was sitting with a guitar on his bed, dropped a notebook with song texts and stared at her with his mouth open.<br>"Gillian? What ...? "  
>"Where is he?" Gillian went to him.<br>"Who? Darren? I do not know, not here. What is it ...? "Evra, who was not able to turn pale under his green snake skin, fell silent, because Gillian looked very furious.  
>Usually she was not a person to be trifled with, already. But now she looked beside herself, and her vampiric side emerged more clearly than ever. Her eyes had a red glow, her skin was porcelain white, she clenched her fists, angry, and on her forehead and her hands appeared bluish veins.<br>Gillian suddenly shot forward toward him, and Evra gave a little scream in terror and cowered in the corner of his bed, his guitar used as a shield in front of him.  
>Gillian's face was tight across his, and she bared her teeth.<br>Never before had he seen her thus: In her otherwise pretty face, sparkling black eyes flashed and between her beautiful lips he could see very sharp teeth.  
>Evra was holding his breath.<br>This was not Gillian.  
>This was Gillian, the vampire, and she was out of control. Did she recognize him at all? Would she jump on him now, and drink his blood?<br>Evra had dreamed of the beautiful vampires student once may be close to him, but he had not imagined it to be like this.  
>Many were afraid of the vampire and his servant, whispering behind their hands about the fact that they are, strictly speaking, no freaks, and therefore had nothing to do at the Circus. They held them for uncontrollable and a threat.<br>Evra had been nothing to this talk, he found the vampire less threatening than the Wolfman or Madam Octa. He had always experienced Larten Crepsley as reasonable and very controlled person.  
>And usually his student was same in every way.<br>Nevertheless, she was just a halfvampire whose forces were still not quite awake, and her thirst for blood was not yet under control.  
>And now she seemed to be a real threat.<p>

Behind Gillian Evras snake was rising hissingly from the ground and spat on the halfvampiress threateningly.  
>Gillian turned her head and looked at the big, strong python.<br>Just when Evra tensed his muscles to try to escape with a pike jump from the bed, Gillian drew back, so there was enough distance between her and the serpent.  
>The red veil over her eyes cleared up and she could think more clearly now.<br>Control yourself, Gillian, Evra has nothing to do with it.  
>She inhaled deeply, her brow wrinkles as she looked at the snake boy, who stared fearfully at her from behind his guitar.<br>"Don`t be ridiculous, Evra, I won`t do you anything," she said as calmly as possible.  
>The python hissed.<br>Gillian was shocked at herself.  
>Had she just wanted to prey on the boy snake?<br>He does not even smell good, his blood was like an animal.  
>And she was not even hungry, not a bit. On the contrary, the blood of her master vampire filled her, and she felt strong and full of energy like never since a long time.<br>Still ... she almost were just jumped on him to ... to, what?  
>To kill him?<br>The Phyton hissed menacingly and was erected to full length.  
>Gillian realized how much Evra feared het at this moment and she was ashamed.<br>"Evra ... it ... I'm sorry."  
>The whole fury and energy that had risen up in her, withdrew from her head, and became a hard lump in her belly.<br>Her knees became weak, and she sat on the edge of the bed so that her face was hidden from Evra.  
>It was better that way because she felt she could burst at any moment into tears.<br>Evra slid gently past her from the bed, the guitar still used as a shield between himself and the halfvampire.  
>But when he saw that she had apparently calmed down, he put the guitar away, and went to his Python. He raised his hands and humming softly to appease it, and the Phyton slowly lowered its head, gave up its threatening attitude, and allowed that Evra picked it up and put in its cage.<br>He closed the lid gently, breathed out, and looked over at the halfvampiress, who was sitting on his bed.  
>She looked so lonely and lost.<p>

Evra took a few cautious steps toward her, and then sat down beside her.  
>"You scared the shit out of me."<br>Gillian looked up at him. Did he see some tears glistened in the corner of her eyes?  
>Evra smiled wryly.<br>For the first time Gillian saw Evra right in the eye.  
>One minute ago she'd pounce on him and wanted to tear his throat open. Evra was not stupid, he had felt, how dangerous she was.<br>The reaction of his Phyton said it all.  
>But now he sat beside her on the bed, trying to hide his fear and cheer her up.<br>A wave of gratitude swept over her.  
>She had never taken Evra seriously.<br>He was just one of the freaks from the circus, not the slickest or the most gifted. Admittedly he was not necessarily the ugliest, but with his green snake skin, Evra was also not really a cutie.  
>She knew that he had a small crush on her, and that had been reason enough for her to avoid him.<br>But now she was very grateful to him, that he did not avoid her, that he showed no fear. He trusted her in a moment where she did not even trust herself.  
>She was neither hungry nor in danger.<br>And yet she had very nearly preyed on Evra.  
>Was this due to the vampire blood that pulsed through her body?<br>She had not been under control.  
>Would it be forever like this as a vampire?<br>Will there always be the danger that this red veil laid before her eyes, and she could not distinguish friend from foe?  
>Was it always like this for Larten?<br>Suddenly, she admired the cool discipline that her master always displayed. She had never seen that he lost control, although there had been moments in which he had been very angry.  
>Like now, he was angry, very angry at her, she still could feel it.<br>But still he had controlled himself, when she was lying close to him in the coffin.  
>Gillian, you must learn to control yourself.<p>

"Hey ..." Evra said "Please, do not cry."  
>Cry? No, Evra was right. Larten was right. She must not cry.<br>She could not allow anger to overwhelm her.  
>She could not allow to loose control of herself.<br>Gillian looked Evra straight in the eyes.  
>They were not human, he had slits in his iris like the pupil of a reptile and he had a yellowish tint. She wondered how Evra saw the world through these eyes.<br>"I will not cry," Gillian said firmly. "I was just for a moment ... very angry."  
>She wondered whether she should apologize again, but instead she asked him: "Please, tell Mr. Creplsey nothing about it. It will never happen again, I swear. "<br>"Okay ..." Evra muttered embarrassed, and looked away, he could no longer withstand her piercing gaze.  
>"Evra. I must find out where Darren is. "<br>"I thought he was with you. Should I look around in the camp? ", he eagerly offered his help.  
>"No ..." Gillian murmured thoughtfully. "He is not in the camp. Where could he have gone?"<br>"I don`t know. Did you fight? I mean ... if he is gone ... maybe he's back home ... "  
>"Home?"<br>"Hmm, yes maybe. He has talked about how much he misses his parents and that he would like to see them. I mean, he knows that he is not allowed to show up, because they believe he is dead and all, but he said it would already be enough for him to peek through the window only once, whether they're okay ... Hey, where are you going? "  
>Gillian jumped up and hurried out.<br>At the entrance she paused again, and glanced back.  
>"Thank you, Evra," then she disappeared.<br>Evras heart hopped into his stomach.  
>For the very first time Gillian had smiled at him.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11: Gillian

Chapter 11: Gillian

The House of the Shans was at the other side of town.  
>Gillian glanced at the sky and gave a curse. The sky was too bright, until the twilight it would be one hour still. The quickest way would be to flit. But it was unwise to move with supernatural speed of a vampire in broad daylight.<br>What if she would be seen?  
>Therefore Gillian only flit through the forest to the road, where she stopped a taxi.<br>She named the address, and slammed the door shut.  
>"And quick, I'm in a hurry!"<br>The fat man behind the wheel gave her an amused look, whereupon Gillian took a handful of dollars from her boot shaft and threw them on the dashboard.  
>"As you wish, young lady," muttered the driver. "But buckle up, please."<br>Gillian impatiently tugged the belt out and clicked it on.  
>The man stepped on the gas, and as they flew through the city, Gillian stared morosely at the bank notes fluttering gently in front of the air conditioner.<br>She had wanted to buy new boots with them.  
>The vampire and she lived on the small money, which they got for their performances in the circus. And that was not much. Of course, they needed neither money for food or for rent or electricity, and paid no taxes. But sometimes the money was very scarce, and Gillian longed for one or the other little comfort.<br>Like these boots she had seen in the city a few weeks ago, and since then she diligently saved her few dollars.  
>The taxi driver kept his word and wriggled the cab through the dense evening traffic, ignoring the angry honking behind him.<br>Faster than hoped, they arrived in the neighborhood in which the house of Darren's parents stood between similar looking middle class apartments.  
>Gillian made the driver stop in a side street, because she did not want to stop directly in front of the house, and jumped out of the car. "The rest is for you!"<br>Then she slipped through the neighbors gardens to the house of the Shans.  
>It was still too bright to wrap herself in shadows, even while narrow stripes of gray appeared at the horizon. She did not know whether she wished the darkness to come fast or not. On one hand she felt very helpless and naked without- she was used to make herself almost invisible in darkness – on the other hand nightfall meant, that others could be on their way here.<br>Mr Tiny's servants.  
>Or even vampaneze.<br>The house was quiet, no car was in the driveway.  
>No trace of Darren.<br>Gillian circled around the house, and found an upstairs window that was open. She looked over her shoulder, and when she was sure that no one was watching her, she slipped under the porch, and climbed on the railing to pull herself up on the roof.  
>Quickly, she glanced back over her shoulder before she swung over the sill into the room beyond.<br>She remained crouched where she was, until she was sure that no one was in the room.  
>It was a bathroom.<br>The door was ajar, and Gillian tried to hear anything.  
>When everything was quiet, she darted into the hallway and glanced into the adjoining rooms.<br>There she found Darren.

He sat on the bed in his room, staring at an old plastic toy in his hand.

Gillian slipped quietly into the room, and shut the door behind her.  
>Darren looked up startled as the door clicked softly.<br>"Darren," she hissed. "Are you stupid to run away, just to come here?"  
>Darren put the toy aside and slid off the bed nervously. "You don`t understand! For you it's all cool to hang out in dark basements and such, but I have not wanted this! "<br>"You can not go back. They think you're dead "  
>"I know that! But I couldn`t resist. I had to see, if they're doing fine. "He made a helpless gesture, which included his room and the sleeping room of his parents next door.<br>Gillian listening to any sounds in the house.  
>"They are not here."<br>Gillian eased off a bit, but wanted to leave as quickly as possible.  
>Darren went around the room.<br>"They have everything left here like it was on that day," he said in a choked voice, and ran his fingers over an open book on his desk.  
>"We must go now, Darren." Gillian sounded harsh.<br>"This is not easy for me, ok? You and Crepsley, ye do always so cool, but you've also have had friends and even parents once. How was it for you, when you had to separate forever from your father? "  
>Gillian looked at him coldly with black eyes. Her face was expressionless, as she said: "I've never known my father, and I hate my mother. I had always to stand on my own. If anyone has ever been anything like a father to me, then it is Larten Crepsley. "<br>Darren stared at her.  
>"And how would it be for you, to have to leave him?"<br>Darren saw that his words had stroked her, turned away from her, and wanted to go to the door, but Gillian grabbed his wrist.  
>"Where are you going?", she hissed.<br>"To my sister Annie. She comes home back soon, I will wait for her in her room. "  
>Gillian increased the pressure on his wrist.<br>"Ow! Don`t worry, I `ll hide in the closet, I will not show me. "  
>"You're just making everything worse. It will just make it more difficult for you to say goodbye to them finally. "<p>

Gillian and Darren stared at each other like two cats in a duel.  
>Finally she let go of his wrist and said: "Also, you bring them in danger. What if the house is under observation and they just wait for you to come back here? Mr Tiny's after you. And perhaps the vampaneze, too. "<br>The sundown cast long shadows in the room, bathing everything in a blue glow.  
>"What are vampaneze?"<br>"Dangerous vampires. Vampires, who have no control. Come on now. We better go."

She left Darren, and went to the window to open it. She jumped on the window sill and looked through her long black hair back to him. "Are you coming?"  
>Darren nodded.<br>Gillian let herself simply fall, followed by her dress like a fluttering wing.

Darren had not yet taken the few steps to the window sill, when he heard a thud and a muffled groan.  
>He rushed to the window and stuck his head out. "Gillian?"<br>The garden was already in the dark, and Darren came just in time to see how Gillian was thrown by an unknown force hardly against a tree, that it gave a loud crash, and shook the tree up to the top.  
>"Gillian!"<br>A man emerged from the shadow of a bush and looked up to the window.  
>Darren flinched and ducked under the sill. Who was that? The man had looked wild and dangerous.<br>Darren jumped up and ran across the short hallway, skidded down the stairs and rushed out the front door on the other side of the house. He ran around the corner into the dark garden, and just came in time to see how a figure plunged with sharp teeth and claw-shaped hands on the girl, who was still lying collapsed at the foot of the tree.  
>But Gillian was not unconscious. She had waited until the man lunged at her and gave him at the last second a kick with both her legs. The attacker flew away, though not as far and hard as she had flown. She immediately got to her feet and took a combative position, but the stranger picked himself up so fast, that Darren could hardly see the movement.<br>He immediately realized that the attacker was not human. The man was a vampire.  
>Or maybe even one of this terrible vampaneze, Gillian had mentioned to him?<br>His blood froze in his veins, and he stood as if paralyzed.  
>A black shadow shot towards him, and somewhere deep inside him, he realized that now the moment had come, to use what he had learned from Gillian. But he was still paralyzed and his muscles would not obey him. A hard blow struck him on the shoulder and he fell to the ground.<br>Black silky hair whipped him in the face, and he realized that Gillian had thrown herself over him to prevent him to be caught by the man.  
>Gillian screamed and as she rolled away from him and sit down panting beside him, crouched on her knees, he saw, that she pressed her hands to her right side.<br>She was hurt.  
>The sharp claws of the man made several deep cuts in her side, and Gillian drew a sharp breath between her teeth, before she hissed: "Run."<br>And when he did not react she repeated: "Run away!"  
>And Darren did run.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12 : Murlough

Chapter 12: Murlough

Darren Shan ran so fast through the half-light streets, that he was no more than a blurred shadow. Luckily he knew the area here so well since his childhood, so it was not difficult to move with the vampires speed without bumping into road signs.  
>He did not stop before he was several blocks away from the house of his parents, in whose garden just a battle was raging; for a moment he stood panting and gasping for air.<br>What was he doing here? Was it right to run away, and to leave Gillian alone?  
>Quickly, he glanced over his shoulder.<br>But no one seemed to have followed him.  
>Meant that, Gillian had managed to stop the vampaneze?<br>But what happened to her?  
>Cold fear crept up his back, and he felt like a coward.<br>He remembered the grinning, dirt-smeared face of the attacker and his flashing teeth and razor-sharp claws.  
>Gillian had been injured, he had seen blood had come from the cuts on her side.<br>Lots of blood.  
>Darren's heart sank. She had no chance.<br>She was only a halfvampire, and the vampaneze had been terribly fast and strong.  
>Perhaps he was already now hanging at her throat and sucking the life out of her ...<br>What should he do?  
>Running back and helping Gillian, even at the risk that he might be killed himself? Or quickly run to the Cirque, and call Larten Crepsley for help?<br>He could never forgive himself, if something bad happened to Gillian just because of him.  
>Oh, damn, how could he alarm Mr Crepsley without wasting time? Why had the stupid master vampire no cell phone?<br>Darren cursed and wished he could send a message to Mr Crepsley just by the sheer force of his mind, like the vampires did in the movies.  
>Shit, why did these things never worked out in reality? If he were a real vampire already, would he now be able to summon his master vampire?<br>Darren kicked a stone from the sidewalk, and struck his fists into the pockets of his leather jacket.  
>He had chosen.<br>He would go back.  
>Darren just took a deep breath and steeled himself to flitt back as suddenly a blurred shade appeared in the small street.<br>Darren's heart stopped.  
>A vampire had flitted into the street. Was it Gillian? Or the vampaneze?<br>He ducked behind a dumpster and peered cautiously around the corner.  
>It was not Gillian.<br>But it was not the mysterious killer as well.  
>It was Larten Crepsley.<br>Darren had never been so glad to see the orange-red hair of the old vampire. He rushed out from behind the container up to him, and shouted excitedly: "Gillian, you have to help her, she is under attack!"  
>Larten grabbed him by both shoulders: "Where?"<br>"In the garden of my parents!"  
>The old vampire did not hesitate: "Jump on!" and pointed to his back. Darren wasted no time trying to explain to his master that he could flitt already on his own, but without hesitation, jumped on his back.<br>Larten darted away.  
>Darren was happy that he was allowed to come with him and not had been sent home by Mr Crepsley. Within seconds they were back in the neighborhood where the house of the Shan family stood.<br>They stopped in the garden next door and peered through the hedges.  
>Deep darkness surrounded the house.<br>Darren blinked in confusion.  
>The sun had already dipped below the horizon completely, and the moon was just a bright crescent in the sky. In the house of his parents were no lights, they were probably still not back ... yet. The darkness that surrounded the house seemed to him too deep. Unnaturally deep ...<br>Only a few meters away from him and Crepsley street lights threw a pale light that reached up to the hedges, where they hid themselves.  
>Crepsley gestured to him in silence to wait here, and stepped out of the hedge on the lawn.<br>The darkness swallowed him completely.

For Larten Crepsley, the vampire, the darkness was not completely.  
>He was able to see in the darkest night, the densest fog and the deepest cellar.<br>But darkness and darkness was not the same, this here surrounded him like ink in water.  
>It got thicker, the deeper he went inside.<br>Larten knew where the shadows were the blackest there was Gillian.  
>She was the heart of this inky darkness, because the shadows streamed out of her, no doubt, in order to hide her from her attacker.<br>But vampires - and vampaneze - never relied solely on their eyes.  
>So had the attacker managed to find Gillian in the blackness, although she tried her best to avoid him.<br>His nose had led him directly to her.  
>The smell of blood on her clothes laid a clear track for him, he was like a shark in dark waters, his prey could not escape.<br>Gillian felt cold fingers touching the back of her neck, and winced.  
>But it was too late, the man gripped her so tightly that she could not escape.<br>Her struggling only made him picked her up at the neck, like a doll, so that she hang a few centimeters above the ground, desperately waving her heels.  
>"Gotcha," someone whispered in her ear and she could smell the foul breath of the man on her face.<br>She struggled harder and tried to pull his fingers around her neck open, but it was as if she would had a steel noose around her neck, which drew closer slowly.  
>Gillian gasped for air.<br>"Nanana, let's keep quiet," whispered the man, rubbing his stubbly cheek against her face and pressed his nose into her hair.  
>"Hmmm ...", He inhaled the scent of her skin and her hair, and Gillian got goose bumps of disgust. She threatened to suffocate, and panic crept up to her, with hairy legs.<br>Take it easy, Gillian. You don`t need to breathe.  
>She stop struggling, and focused to suppress her natural reflexes.<br>It worked, the panic crept back, and Gillian hang caught in the grip of the man calmly.  
>"That's better" cooed the man behind her. "Gillian. Larten Crepsleys pet. As I see you're still a weak halfvampire. What's going on? Does the old man not bring himself to transform you? Tststs ... what a shame. "<br>He loosened his grip around her neck, but instead took her in a headlock.  
>Gillian let the darkness fall between them like a soft veil.<br>Now she could see his face.  
>The vampaneze looked down on Gillian mockingly, who looked small and fragile in his arms. He was wearing a mottled French uniform from the last century, and smelled of death.<br>Gillian looked calmly into his eyes and concentrated.  
>She wasn`t allowed to show any fear, she had to stay sane.<br>The vampaneze seemed to like what he saw.  
>He grinned at her lustfully, and touched her with his free hand on her brest.<br>"Perhaps you're not his student, perhaps he thinks you are only a little toy. How is it? Does he feed from you? "  
>Gillian struggled again and tried to push his hand away from her body, but he just grabbed more tightly. He forced her face close to his and Gillian feared that he will kiss her.<br>He didn`t. He whispered: "How about this, little Gillian? I release you, and you come with me. I promise not to hesitate as long as this weakling Larten Crepsley. By the end of this night you could be transformed. "  
>"Let her go, Murlough!"<br>Murlough, the vampaneze, spun around, and Gillian hang loosely in his arm like a rag doll.  
>Larten Crepsley emerged from the shadows, and Gillian's heart skipped a beat.<br>"Ah, if one speaks of the devil." Murlough grinned widely, revealing a series of sharp yellow teeth.  
>"Let her go, I've said."<br>Murloughs smile froze and he cocked his head.  
>Then he stretched out his arms in a mocking bow, and Gillian was free.<br>"We have only held a chit-chat."  
>Gillian hastened behind Lartens back. Her heart pounded in her throat.<br>"Just a little conversation, is it not, Gillian? Why are you so upset about it, Crepsley? May she not speak to whom she wants? "  
>Larten did allow to provoke him.<br>"You'd better go, vampaneze, before I ask you, why her blood is on your fingers."  
>Despite his quiet tone the subliminal threat swung significantly.<br>Murlough grinned insolently, and put three fingers of his right hand into his mouth to lick the blood from them.  
>Slowly he drew backwards, back into the darkness.<br>"It's a shame ..." he muttered, shaking his head, and then disappeared into the night his piercing red eyes fixed on Gillian.  
>Gillian dared to breathe again.<br>She and Crepsley remained a moment standing back to back, while Gillian slowly lifted up the darkness around them.  
>The vampire was watching the environment and then gave her a sign to follow him.<br>He trudged through the short trimmed grass, his red cloak swinging after him.  
>Gillian followed him until they met in a hedge where Darren waited, staring at them with wide eyes.<br>"He's gone," Larten said monosyllabically. "And we're leaving now."  
>He gestured again, that Darren should climb on his back.<br>Darren wanted to protest. But then his eyes fell on Gillian.  
>She looked terrible.<br>Her dress was torn to shreds and blood-smeared skin flashed out from beneath it. He could see red strangulation marks on her white neck and her hair otherwise so nice had matted and was stringy.  
>But the worst was her grim expression.<br>And the coldness in her eyes.  
>Gillian was so controlled as normally only her master was.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13: Larten Crepsley

Chapter 13: Larten Crepsley

Darren didn`t dare to feel safe, before they reached the meadows outside the city, where the Cirque du Freak camped.  
>Both he and Gillian saw repeatedly over their shoulders, if they had been followed.<br>But behind them everything was quiet.  
>Mr Crepsley went straight to his tent and he seemed to want to avoid being seen by members of the circus. He hit the canvas at the entrance aside and plunged into the dim interior.<br>Gillian wanted immediately to light the candles.  
>But Larten took the matches from her hand and gave it to Darren. "It's okay, Gillian, Darren can do that."<br>Darren did what he was told, however he watched Crepsley and his student from the corner of his eye. The vampire seemed to expect like him, that the small woman would break down, now that she was safe, because he covered her small hands with his big paws and pulled her towards him.  
>Gillian, however, remained calm and started to Darren and Lartens surprise not to cry at all.<br>The vampire master looked interested in his students face. "You have been very brave out there, Gillian."  
>But Gillian shook her head and sank to her knees before Mr Crepsley. "What has happened is my fault alone. I was not allowed to leave my post. "<br>The vampire took a step back in surprise, and crossed his arms.  
>"You were not alone, someone else has previously defied my orders and left the hiding place without permission."<br>He threw a glance to Darren, who pretended hastily to be engaged in lighting a candle.  
>"He should not have been able to escape me. I've committed an unforgivable stupidity, when I got to you in the coffin. And ... what I did then. I don`t know, how I can justify that. Only that it will never happen again. "<br>Larten grimaced: "It is alright, Gillian. It has turned out to be fortunate that you have drunk my blood, because only that way you could call me to you. You've managed to stand long enough against Murlough, so Darren was able to escape. I'd say you've saved his life tonight. Stand up. "  
>He gave her his hand, and Gillian rose.<br>"Let me see your wound," Larten said and wanted to touch her on the hip, but Gillian retreated.  
>"No need. It is already healed. "<br>She tried to hold together the tatters of her dress.  
>Mr Crepsley cocked his head and looked at her.<br>"You fought well, Gillian. And do not blame yourself, you would have had no chance against him, if he had been in for you. "  
>"I know. He was after Darren. When Darren escaped in my darkness, he was very angry. But he had not come to kill me. He has played with me. I think he has been waiting for you to show up. "<br>"What did he say to you?" Larten asked, took off his coat and threw it on the mannequin next to the entrance.  
>"Nothing of importance." Gillian looked down.<br>The vampire sat down in his chair. The red leather creaked.  
>"Darren," he turned suddenly to him. "Go, and take care of Madam Octa."<br>Darren rushed to put down the lighted candles, and went into the next room.  
>Apparently the old vampire wanted to talk to his student face to face.<br>Darren opened Octas cage, and fed her with dead flies from the glass. He strained his ears, because only a thin curtain separated him from the two, and he could hear their conversation over, even if they spoke in a hushed voice.  
>"Gillian," began the vampire, "you have your job done well tonight. I'm impressed with how calm you remained, when the vampaneze had you in his clutches. "<br>"Thanks," she muttered. "I've learned something today. The most important lesson. Today I understood what you wanted to teach me. If I had not stayed calm as he was choking me if I panicked and struggled with him, he would have possibly done even worse to me. And if I had let myself in for a fight, he would have only hurt me more. He would have lost his temper, when more blood would have spilled from me. The vampaneze would have killed me in bloodlust, no matter whether he was actually behind Darren or not. "  
>Gillian approached the chair, and knelt at the feet of her master again.<br>"Look here. No more tears. "  
>Darren forgot that he wanted to feed the spider. He crept to the curtain and peered out through a slit.<br>"This was the hardest lesson."  
>She took the pale hand of the Vampire, and breathed a kiss on his hand back. "I am ready."<br>Larten Crepsley looked down at her with burning eyes. His answer was whispered, but Darren could understand the words: "Yes ... you are."  
>Darren's heart began to beat.<br>"Then bring to an end, what you had started."  
>Gillian raised her arm and brushed back her long black mane and offered her neck to the old vampire, on her pale skin still strangulation marks could be seen.<br>Larten rose abruptly from his chair and almost pushed Gillian to the ground.  
>"Not now," he growled and began to pace up and down the tent like a tiger in a cage.<br>"When?" Gillian asked, and a hint of her old uncontrolled self came back.  
>"When I say, that it is time!" Crepsley growled, and clenched his fists.<br>Gillian jumped up: "Well, that means never!"  
>She gathered her skirts. "Murlough was right!"<br>Gillian thrust the curtain at the front entrance aside impatiently.  
>The vampire stared after her, and Darren saw for the first time cracks in the cold mask of the vampire: Crepsley took a crystal glass and hurled it full of rage against a tent pole, so that it shattered into a thousand glittering shards.<br>Then the vampire stormed out into the night, too.


	14. Chapter 14 : Darren

Chapter 14: Darren

Neither the halfvampire Gillian, nor the vampire master Larten Crepsley came back home that night.  
>Darren wandered aimlessly through the camp of the Cirque du Freak and sat down at the camp fire, but remained silent and talked to no members of the Cirque.<br>Until Rebecca, the only normal girl in the circus who took care of the costumes, sat down beside him and smiled shy at him.  
>"Hi, Darren."<br>"Hi, Rebecca."  
>"Is everything okay?"<br>Was it so obvious that he was worried?  
>"Not really. Gillian and Mr Crepsley have been arguing, and now both are gone " He looked up into the sky. "And soon the sun will rise."<br>"Are you worried about the vampire?" Rebecca asked. "He can take care of himself."  
>"Yes, I know. It's just ... somehow I feel guilty. I'm to blame, that Gillian has been bruised ... "<br>"What happened? '". Rebecca made round eyes.  
>"I shouldn`t have left the circus without permission."<br>Even if that was not a precise answer to her question, Rebecca did not ask more. She only kept sitting next to the vampires assistant, and they both stared into the dancing flames in front of them.  
>"I've seen Gillian."<br>"When?" Darren asked.  
>"Two hours ago maybe. She came out of Crepsleys tent, and she looked ... well, a little upset. I almost collided with her because she was in such a hurry. She pushed me aside and asked what I wanted. I told her I had a message for Mr Crepsley."<br>"A message?"  
>"Yes. I was close to the trailer of Mr Tall when the director stuck out his head and called me over. He wanted me to go to Crepsleys tent and give him a message. That must have been at three o`clock. "<br>"What was it you should tell Mr Crepsley". Darren was excited.  
>"Nothing special ..." Rebecca hesitated and looked at Darren. "The message was for Mr Crepsley but Gillian said I could tell her as well. She is his student, and would deliver the message to him, she said. So I told her. I was not thinking it might be wrong ... " She looked guiltily at Darren and he hastened to assure her, that she had done nothing wrong.<br>"What was the message? You can tell me. After all, uh ... I'm Mr. Crepsleys assistant. "  
>Rebecca hesitated. But Darren smiled so innocently at her, that she finally said: "Oh, Mr. Tall only said, that a friend of Mr Crepsley wants to visit him. He told me, to tell Mr Crepsley that Gavner Purl was waiting in the directors trailer, and that he wanted to see him. "<br>Darren was taken aback. Gavner Purl? Was that not the other ancient vampire, a friend Crepsleys? What did he want? And why had not Gillian come back to tell Larten that his friend was waiting for him?  
>What did this all mean?<br>Rebecca yawned.  
>"It's getting late, nearly five clock in the morning." Darren looked at the clock. "You should go to bed."<br>"What about you?"  
>"I will stay awake until they return."<br>Rebecca did not dare to take Darren's hand and press it, so she got up, wished him a good night, and went away with the feeling of not having comforted him at all.

Darren stayed a while longer sitting by the fire and then rose as well.  
>He checked the tent again, but neither the vampire nor his student were there.<br>He opened the coffin and went down into the secret hiding place, but there was nobody. Lartens coffin was abandoned with the lid open at the end of the cellar.  
>When Darren left the tent, the sun was a narrow strip on the horizon.<br>The vampire had not come back.  
>Darren felt the uproar and stress of the day had exhausted him, and thought he could not keep his eyes open for another minute.<br>He staggered over to his tent and crawled onto his bed.  
>Evra startled and looked with sleepy eyes to him. "All right, buddy?" He asked, still half asleep.<br>Could he not leave him alone? "Hmhm, all right." Darren turned his face to the wall.  
>"You and Gillian. Have you fought, or something? "<br>"What makes you think that?" Darren muttered.  
>"Well, she was here earlier ..."<br>"When?", Darren sat up, his tiredness was swept away.  
>"A little while ago. She's gone, just before you came. "<br>Then Gillian had been all the time in the camp, while Darren was looking for her. Was she hiding from him on purpose?  
>"What did she want?"<br>Evra had raised the upper body and was lying on his elbow in his bed, so that he could look at Darren.  
>"I'm not sure. At first I thought she was here to see you. I mean, she never comes to visit me. But she did not ask for you, she just hung around here. At first I thought, she was waiting for something, but then ... "<br>"What then?"  
>"I think, she tried to say me something."<br>"What did she want to say?"  
>"I don`t know exactly. It was just a feeling, well ... "<br>Darren's heart began to pound. He had a queasy feeling.  
>"She was different than usual", Evra watched Darren, as he hoped that his friend can help him.<br>"What do you mean by different? What did she say? "  
>"Well she said ... not necessarily with words ... But I felt as if ... As if she wanted to say goodbye to me!"<br>Darren was freezing cold at these words.  
>Suddenly he felt he would never see Gillian again.<br>He looked over at Evra, whose eyes reflected the same concern.  
>Against his conviction Darren said: "Come on. Don`t worry. "<br>And he turned his face to the wall.  
>"Do you know the story of how the vampire and Gillian did meet for the first time?"<br>"No," said Darren, trying not to sound too curious.  
>"It is said," whispered Evra, "that Mr Crepsley had been wandering in the city and had spread flyers for the Cirque. It is said, that he had seen Gillian first time in a dark alley. It was a dangerous area and she seemed far too young to hang around there alone. And she was in trouble. A group of drunken men embarrassed and tried to get off with her." Evras voice sounded husky."They were near to rape her."<br>"And she was saved by Crepsley?" Darren said with wide eyes.  
>"No. She saved herself. "<br>Darren turned around to Evra: "How?"  
>"Maybe Mr Crepsley would have intervened, but that was not necessary. As it turned out, Gillian could very well defend herself alone. She pulled out a knife and gave a kick at one of the guys. Then she could probably get away ".<br>Darren was impressed.  
>"They say, that the vampire had never before met a young woman who defended herself with such courage and whose will to live was so strong."<br>"And then he took her with him ..." concluded Darren.  
>"No. That's the point. He's just gone his way. But then, shortly afterwards he met her again. On a bridge. It was the same girl. But now she stood on the bridge railing. It seemed as if all will to live had left her. Gillian wanted to jump off the bridge. She wanted to kill herself. "<br>Darren was stunned "But why ...?"  
>Evra shrugged. "No one knows. Anyhow, Mr Crepsley invited her to the Cirque and made her into a half-vampire. "<p>

After this story it was difficult for Darren to fall asleep, but when he finally closed his eyes, his last thoughts were, that the vampire master had not returned home.  
>And that Gillian had said goodbye to Evra.<br>Something had been broken this night, and nothing would ever be as before. 


	15. Chapter 15 : Gillian

Chapter 15: Gillian

Darren slept much longer than he had wanted. When he awoke it was already late afternoon and the sun sprinkled bright spots on the floor in front of his hammock. There was no sign of Evra, and Darren cursed that he had slept so long. He swung his legs out of bed, and felt dizzy for a moment. He was still tired, and his stomach grumbled.  
>But first he wanted to see, if Gillian had returned.<br>Still in the same clothes he'd worn the day before, Darren ran past the cage of the wolfman towards the tent of the vampire. When he walked in, his heart sank.  
>No sign of Gillian.<br>He realized, that there was nothing he could do about it right now, and set out, in order to get some breakfast.  
>After he had eaten a chicken sandwich, which Rhamus Twobellies gave him with a friendly smile, and drank a cup of coffee, he felt a little better.<br>But the fear and the feeling that he had screwed up everything remained.  
>He decided to make himself at least a bit useful, and went back to master Crepsleys tent, for cleaning up.<br>Armed with a dustpan and a broom, he kneeled down to pick up the pieces of crystal glass.  
>When he was down on all fours on the flimsy old carpet and gathering up small pieces of glass, sliding around with pointed fingers to make sure not to cut himself, the tent entrance was pushed open and someone slipped inside.<br>Darren squinted against the sunlight, and could at first only see a black shadow, as the plane flipped back to the entrance and Darren realized who had entered.  
>"Gillian!" Darren exclaimed.<br>"Hi, Darren," she said and walked past him.  
>"Gillian, where have you been? I was worried. Crepsley has not returned and I ... "<br>"He is not here?" She looked down at him.  
>"He's not in his coffin."<br>Gillian sighed. Then she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm tired. I`ll lay down for a while. Wake me in two hours. "  
>"What? But Crepsley, what if he ... "<br>"You're worried? Keep cool. It is up to him, if he wants to spend the day somewhere else. And since he has not told you where he`s gone, it`s not your business. The Master has many hiding places. Wake me in two hours. "  
>Darren nodded and watched as she climbed into the coffin and closed the lid. He did not even bother about Gillian's harsh way to speak to him in orders, he had become accustomed with it.<br>Actually, he was glad that she was back.

Two hours later, Darren timidly knocked on the wooden coffin, and when nothing happened, he knocked again, this time a little louder. Should he open the lid?  
>But the coffin went open and Gillian looked at him in with sleepy eyes.<br>"You ... uh, you wanted me to wake you. But if you want to sleep on ... "  
>"No, it`s ok. We have much to do. "<br>Gillian rose.  
>"Will Mr Crepsley come back tonight?"<br>"I don`t know, but if he comes, then everything should be prepared for him, don`t you think?"  
>Darren nodded, and together the vampire's assistant and his student cleaned up the tent, and prepared everything for the arrival of their master.<br>She showed him where they kept blood in storage, and taught him how to mix it, so it does not coagulate.  
>"Today, you can serve him. Don`t talk with him before he does not allow you. He is a little grumpy when he wakes up, and wants to be left in peace for a while. "<br>Darren wondered a bit why Gillian was so kind to him, but if it seemed strange to him, then not enough, that he drew the right conclusions from it. He was too happy that she was back, and that she had apparently forgiven him, that he had put her in danger. If now Larten Crepsley comes back, everything would be fine again.

As the sun went slowly down, and the tent filled with shadows, Darren felt more and more excited.  
>Gillian had changed clothes and brushed her hair and looked actually very pretty.<br>Suddenly, she cocked her head and closed her eyes as she would sniff a smell or listened to a faint melody.  
>"You can light the candles, he`s coming."<br>The vampire came back? How did she know that? With trembling fingers Darren took a match out of the box.  
>He needed a second match, because he broke the first, and just as he had lit the candle, and lightened up the tent, the candle nearly went out again, as a breeze did flare it up...<br>Someone had entered the tent.  
>Darren looked up and smiled as he saw the orange-red hair of his vampire master.<br>Larten Crepsley walked with quick steps into the tent and went to his chair. Under his arm he carried a package.  
>He held out the package to Gillian: "Here. For you. "<br>Astonished, she looked up at him and took the package from his hands.  
>She pulled on the ribbon that was wrapped around it, and rustling through layers of silky paper she found a pair of new shiny leather boots.<br>"Oh," Gillian's lips formed into a puzzled expression. "These boots ..." she looked up at Larten Crepsley. "But how did you know?".  
>The vampire put a hand under her chin and smiled. "I know you well, Gillian."<br>"Thanks," she breathed, and Darren saw that she was close to tears.  
>Crepsley seemed pleased with himself and Darren helped him out of his mantle.<br>"Try them on," the vampire said, because Gillian still pressed the shoes against her chest, and made no move to put them on.  
>She shook her head.<br>Crepsley frowned and Darren hastened to pour him blood from the carafe. "Here," he said nervously, holding out the glass, and hoped that would attract the attention of the vampire. But Crepsley took the glass without looking at him, his attention was still on the student.  
>Gillian hesitated, but then she said: "If you know me so well, then you know what I wish most of all ..."<br>"Gillian ..." Larten Crepsley groaned, and Darren could not blame him. Does she has to start that again?  
>Gillian squared her shoulders. "Darren. Would you please leave us alone for a moment? "<br>Darren looked at Crepsley, who nodded with resignation, and he left to the next room.  
>He sat down at Madam Octas cage and listened tensely, what Gillian did next behind the thin curtain.<br>She put the boots carefully back into the paper and gathered all her courage.  
>"Master Larten ..."<br>The vampire had sunk into his chair and placed his fingertips to his forehead.  
>"... I ask you again. When do you intend to make me one of your kind? "<br>"Gillian, I beg you ... do not do this to me ..."  
>Darren was shocked at the almost pleading tone in the voice of the vampire.<br>"I must ...", she whispered. "You stay to your decision?"  
>"I will transform you, Gillian. But not now, not yet ... ".<br>Gillian winced.  
>The vampire became even more softly: "Please understand ... I can`t ..."<br>"I thought so." Gillian nodded sadly. "And therefore I have made up my decision."  
>She reached behind a curtain and grabbed a packed luggage.<br>Darren's heart began to throb.  
>"Yesterday I have spoken with Gavner Purl. I`ll go with him. He will finish what you have started. It's better this way."<br>Gillian seemed quite calm and ready for anything, but Darren thought he knew, that a storm was raging hidden inside her.  
>"It's all arranged. He is waiting outside for me." Her voice broke. She turned away abruptly, and wanted to leave.<br>Larten Crepsley had jumped from the chair, so quickly that Darren's eye could not follow him.  
>He had just sat with his head down in his chair, suddenly he stood next by the student and held her gently by the arm. "You do not need to do that," he whispered in her ear.<br>Gillian looked straight into the vampire's eyes: "I have to. There is no room for me here anymore. "  
>And Lartens heart sunk, when he saw, how hell-bent she was.<br>Weakly, he lowered his arm.  
>Gillian walked past him.<br>When she was at the exit, the vampire called after her: "Gillian?"  
>She turned around one more.<br>"Can you forgive an old vampire his weak heart?"  
>Gillian smiled. "It is this weak heart that I love about the old vampire."<br>Then she turned away and was gone.

Larten stood there for a long time with drooping shoulders and looked after her.  
>When the old master vampire turned around after what seemed like an eternity, Darren could see his face.<br>He shocked.  
>From Larten Crepslyes eyes a bloody tear welled up and rolled down his cheek, soaking his collar and cloak with blood-red sorrow.<p>

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... To be continued

The Vampires student Part II: "Friends and Fiends of the Night"

OUT NOW ! URL: .net/s/7736059/1/


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